Do robust species mind climate change? Surviving and suffering at the edges of the distribution

Datum

24.10.2025

Zeit

15:00 - 16:00

Sprecher

Gabriele Uhl

Zugehörigkeit

University of Greifswald, Germany

Sprache

en

Hauptthema

Biologie

Host

Postdoc Special Friday Seminar

Beschreibung

As the impacts of human-induced climate change become increasingly evident, it is crucial to explore whether and how species can survive in changing environments. Range-expanding species offer a natural experiment for this investigation, particularly when their expansion surpasses regional warming trends caused by climate change. This suggests an adaptive response to new environments rather than merely following optimal climate conditions. The wasp spider, Argiope bruennichi, has extended its range rapidly from warm, oceanic, and Mediterranean climates into a new thermal niche—the continental climate of the Baltic States and Scandinavia—over the past century, and is regarded as a notably resilient species. Populations at the northern European edge of this expansion encounter greater seasonality and colder winters, while those in the core Mediterranean region face increasingly higher temperatures. This spider species thus provides a unique opportunity to study plasticity and adaptations for survival in both colder and warmer environments. In this talk, I will introduce the biology and life history of this abundant species. I will then present data from reciprocal common garden experiments conducted in the lab, which help distinguish phenotypic plasticity from local genetic adaptation driving the rapid northward range expansion. Additionally, I will discuss studies where spiders were exposed to warmer or colder periods during development, revealing unexpected spill-over effects of early experiences on overwintering survival. Overall, the data demonstrate that even a seemingly robust species like the wasp spider is affected by climate change.

Letztmalig verändert: 19.09.2025, 07:36:30